Mutlay Sayan '16, left, stands with UVM College of Medicine Associate Dean for Student Affairs Christa Zehle, M.D., after receiving the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Student Award. (Photo: David Seaver for the UVM College of Medicine)

Only days away from Commencement and their medical degrees, students in the University of Vermont College of Medicine’s Class of 2016 took a moment to be acknowledged for their accomplishments over the past four years at Honors Night on Tuesday, May 17.

The event, which took place in the UVM Davis Center’s Grand Maple Ballroom, featured the presentation of 30 individual student awards, eleven faculty awards, one staff award, one department award, as well as recognition for 17 newly-elected Arnold P. Gold Humanism Honor Society members and 15 newly-elected Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society members.

UVM College of Medicine Dean Frederick C. Morin III, M.D., welcomed attendees. In addressing the Class of 2016, he said “You have set the example for the next generation of students. I look forward to seeing your success as you go out, and hearing about what you’re doing.”

Honor Society Recognition Awards

The first honors were recognition of the new Gold Humanism Honor Society members, who each received a gold cord to wear with their Commencement regalia. Students chosen for this society are recognized for their excellence in clinical care, leadership, compassion, and dedication to service. The 17 Class of 2016 students honored include: Jenna Lynn Bodmer; Samantha Boyd; Katherine Michelle Evans; Leah Hall Fox; Heather Gardiner; Jeanna Therese Gosselin; Daniel Haddad; Emily Hadley Strout; Hannah Linnea Lowe Kavookjian; Nicolas Michael Monte; Luke Allen Neill; John Harnisch Nesbitt; Kelsey Elizabeth Preston; Cordelia Yen Ross; Kevin M. Saiki; Michael Sun; and Raj Kiran Thakrar. Recipients of the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Awards, presented by the Gold Foundation for excellence in both compassionate patient care and scientific achievement were announced, were Candace Fraser, M.D., associate professor of family medicine, who received the faculty award, and Mutlay Sayan ’16, who received the student award.

Also during the event, 15 members of the College’s Class of 2016 were inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. Students elected to this society, in the opinion of their classmates and the faculty of the College, have shown promise of becoming leaders in their profession. Among those recognized were: Jenna Lynn Bodmer; Alex Richard Coffman; Erin Christine Curtis; Sarah Ann Ebert; Katherine Michelle Evans; Suleiman Ismael; Hannah Linnea Lowe Kavookjian; Laura Marie Lazzarini; James George Levins IV; Brenton Edmund Daniel Nash; Nicholas Rex Sinclair; Sarah Ann Thompson; Megan Wetzel; and Emily Yu Xue. Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society Award recipients included Molly Rideout, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics (Faculty Award); Alfred Croteau, M.D., clinical instructor in surgery (Housestaff Award); and Charles Parson, M.D., clinical instructor in surgery (Housestaff Award).

Clinical Excellence Awards

Associate Dean for Clinical Education Tania Bertsch, M.D., presented The Charles T. Schechtman, M.D.26 Award for Clinical Excellence. Katherine Evans ’16, received the first-place award; Nicholas Sinclair ’16 and Suleiman Ismael ’16 each received a second-place award.

Faculty members representing ten clinical departments presented awards to students:

• Mark Levine, M.D., associate dean for graduate medical education and professor of medicine, presented two awards: The Ellsworth Amidon Award for outstanding proficiency in Internal Medicine, which was presented to Shane Green ’16; and the Laura Weed, M.D. Award for qualities of excellence, service, and commitment in Internal Medicine, which was awarded to Jeanne Gosselin ’16.
• Elise Everett, M.D., M.S., associate professor and clerkship director for obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences, presented two awards for her department: The Carbee Award for academic excellence in Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, which was presented to Katherine Evans ’16; and the John V. Maeck, M.D.’39 Robe Recipient, who was Merima Ruhotina ’16.
• Thomas Peterson, M.D., professor and chair of family medicine, presented the Family Medicine John P. Fogarty, M.D. Leadership Award to Emily Greer Jones ’16, and the Edward E. Friedman Award for promise of excellence in the practice of Family Medicine to Anja Lipinski Jokela ’16.
• Claude Nichols, M.D., professor and chair of orthopaedics and rehabilitation, presented the Dr. & Mrs. Nathaniel Gould, M.D.’37 Prize for outstanding achievements in Orthopaedic Surgery to James Levins IV ’16.
• James Hebert, M.D.’77, professor of surgery, announced the top three award recipients of the James E. Demeules Surgical Research Prize, who included Sonam Kapadia ’16 (1^st), Leah Novinger ’16 (2^nd), and Kelsey Preston ’16 (3^rd); and presented the Harry Howe, M.D. ’52 Senior Student Award for excellence in Surgery to Leah Novinger, the H. Gordon Page, M.D. ‘45 Award for excellence in Surgery to Hannah Lowe Kavookjian ’16, and the Pilcher Award for representing the qualities of Eleanor & Lewis Pilcher of devotion to family and patients, with a high regard for ethics and honesty, to Sonam Kapadia.
• S. Patrick Bender, M.D., associate professor of anesthesiology, presented the John E. Mazuzan Jr., M.D. ‘54 Award for excellence in Anesthesiology to Yun Yun “Kathy” Chen ’16.
• Timothy Fries, M.D., associate professor of neurological sciences, presented two awards: The American Academy of Neurology Medical Student Prize for excellence in Neurology, which was given to Priyanka Chilakamarri ’16, and the Herbert Martin Sr., M.D. Award for excellence in Neurology to Ian Crane ’16.
• Joshua Nickerson, M.D., assistant professor of radiology, presented the Radiology Achievement Award for excellence in Radiology to Sarah Ebert ’16.
• Lewis First, M.D., professor and chair of pediatrics, presented the Ralph D. Sussman, M.D.’38/Medical Alumni Award for excellence in Pediatrics to Dwight Parker ’16.
• Jeremiah Dickerson, M.D., assistant professor of psychiatry, presented the William Sweetser Award for excellence in Psychiatry to Erin McElroy Curtis ’16.
• Christa Zehle announced the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Award for excellence in Emergency Medicine recipient as Suleiman Ismael, and the Joseph B. Warshaw, M.D. Scholarship Award for scientific excellence by an M.D.-Ph.D. student as Matthew Lecomte.

Class of 2016 Awards to Faculty, Residents and Staff

Six awards were presented by vote of the class to honor faculty and staff members who contributed to the students’ medical education in significant ways. Class of 2016 Student Council members Daniel Haddad, Shravan Rao Merima Ruhotina, Emily Hadley Strout took turns announcing awards and their respective honorees, who were as follows: Howe Outstanding Surgery Faculty Award: Wasef AbuJaish, M.D., associate professor of surgery; Colette Award: Emma Faustner, Office of Medical Student Education; Clinical Resident of the Year: Charles Parson, M.D., clinical instructor in surgery, and Andrew Rubens, M.D., clinical instructor in anesthesiology; Clinical Teacher of the Year Award: Elise Everett, M.D., M.S., associate professor and clerkship director for obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences,; Clinical Department of the Year Award (The Silver Shovel Award): Department of Medicine; and Dignity in Medicine: Ellen Black, Ph.D., assistant professor of neurological sciences and course director, Human Structure and Function.

Senior Student Awards

Christa Zehle, M.D., associate dean for student affairs, presented six senior awards, including:

• The Lamb Fellowship Award for best exemplifying concern and care for the total patient: Emily Jones ’16
• The Dean William Eustis Brown Award for broad cultural interests, and loyalty to the College of Medicine: Reiko Sakai ’16
• The Mark H. Beers, M.D.’82 and Stephen K. Urice Scholarship: Nicholas Field
• The David M. Tormey Award for perseverance in the pursuit of medical education: Elizabeth May ’16
• The Kerzner Family Prize for service to the community: Emily Hadley Strout
• The David Babbott, M.D. “Caring and Seeing” Award: Karl Olav Kristiansen

William Jeffries, Ph.D., senior associate dean for medical education, presented the final award of the evening – the Mimi A. Reardon, M.D.’67 Award for service to the University of Vermont College of Medicine – which was given to Cordelia Ross ’16. Award namesake Reardon placed the Reardon award medal around Ross’s neck at the conclusion of the Honors Night ceremony.

Previously-awarded student honors, along with the recognition presented at the Honors Night event, will be featured in conjunction with student’s names in the UVM College of Medicine 2016 Commencement brochure.

View the Class of 2016 Honors Night photo gallery here.